These crunchy and delicious veggie nuggets are healthy, kid-friendly and so easy to make! With a perfectly seasoned vegetable, chickpea and cheese filling covered in crispy, golden panko breadcrumbs, they make a healthy and tasty snack, appetiser or main dish. Ready in 30 minutes, these gorgeous little veggie bites can be oven-baked, fried or made in an air fryer!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made from scratch – so you know exactly what goes into them.
- Freezer-friendly – make a double batch and store any extras in the freezer for another day.
- Healthy – they are packed with broccoli and other veggies and have lots of protein, thanks to the chickpeas, eggs and cheese.
- Full of flavour – these crunchy nuggets boast incredible flavour. They are perfectly golden and crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. One bite and you will be hooked!
- A great way to use up old veggies from your fridge.
- Easy to make – they take just 30 minutes from start to finish and use simple ingredients like fresh vegetables, canned chickpeas, panko breadcrumbs and spices.
- Versatile – they can be fried, or cooked in the air fryer or oven for a healthier option.
- Perfect for dipping – serve with ketchup, aioli, honey mustard or your favourite dipping sauces.
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Veggies – a mix of broccoli, sweet potato and carrot form the vegetable component of the nuggets. They should be finely chopped/grated to ensure quick and even cooking. Any part of the broccoli can be used, including the stalk and florets.
- Chickpeas – add protein and also help to bind the nuggets together.
- Eggs – are used to bind the filling together and also to help hold the breadcrumbs onto the nuggets while cooking.
- Cheese – a mixture of cheddar (a nice, sharp cheddar) and parmesan cheese are used for both flavour and to help hold the filling together. For vegetarian nuggets, you can swap the parmesan cheese for an extra ½ cup of tasty cheddar or nutritional yeast.
- Breadcrumbs – two types of breadcrumbs are used. Regular breadcrumbs are used in the filling as a binding agent and panko breadcrumbs are used on the exterior for an ultra-crispy, crunchy coating. Use store-bought crumbs, or make your own.
- Spices – a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper are used to add depth and flavour.
Step by step guide
Step 1 – Make the filling;
Cook the broccoli, sweet potato and carrot in a pan with some olive oil over medium-high heat, until soft (around 5 minutes).
Once the broccoli mixture is cooked, add it to a food processor along with the other filling ingredients. Pulse on high speed until the mixture has completely broken down and is thick and smooth.
You may need to stop the food processor a couple of times and use a spoon to push down the sides, until everything comes together.
Step 2 – Shape the nuggets;
Use your hands to roll tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture into balls. Then, flatten them and gently shape them into nuggets.
Step 3 – Coat the nuggets;
Dip each of the nuggets into the beaten egg, and then coat them in the panko breadcrumbs, until completely covered.
Step 4 – Cook the nuggets;
Shallow fry the nuggets in a pan with canola or vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes on one side and 1-2 minutes on the other, until crispy and golden brown.
Alternatively, the nuggets can be baked in an oven or air fryer.
Serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce.
Tips for success
- Make them ahead – these nuggets can be made, then put in the freezer to cook later on. If you keep them in the freezer, the cooking time will be slightly longer.
- Make sure the vegetables are finely chopped/grated to ensure they will be cooked through.
- For gluten-free nuggets, use gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Serve hot and fresh, straight from the pan! Don’t wait to eat them, they are best when eaten warm and freshly cooked.
- Try serving them with ketchup, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, chilli mayo, honey mustard sauce or my favourite; burger sauce!
- Rather than grating fresh vegetables, you can also use leftover veggies for these nuggets. Just add 2 firmly packed cups of pre-cooked, steamed vegetables to the filling mixture.
- This recipe makes about 30 regular-sized nuggets, but they can be made larger or smaller if required.
FAQs
These nuggets are packed full of healthy ingredients, including vegetables and chickpeas. They are also full of protein, thanks to the chickpeas, eggs and cheese. While I recommend pan-frying for maximum crunch and flavour, they can also be baked in an oven or air fryer to make them even healthier.
These nuggets can be cooked in an air fryer, rather than being shallow fried, if preferred. To air fry, place the nuggets into the air fryer basket with a light coating of oil spray and cook for around 8 minutes at 190 °C.
Yes, you can! You can make the broccoli vegetable mixture in advance and chill it, covered, in the fridge for around 24 hours. Then simply shape, coat, cook and enjoy! The nuggets can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. They can be served hot, or cold. To reheat, simply place them in an air fryer or oven at 160 °C for around 5 minutes, or until heated through.
This recipe is freezer-friendly and it’s so easy to keep a batch on hand to pull out when you need a quick dinner or easy lunchbox snack. To freeze, make sure they are completely cooled and then place them on a baking tray in a single layer. Place into the freezer for around 1 hour, until frozen and then transfer the nuggets to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Veggie Nuggets with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli very finely chopped or shredded
- 1 cup grated sweet potato peeled and grated
- 1 carrot large, grated
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 200 grams chickpeas canned, drained
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cheddar cheese a strong cheddar or tasty cheese, grated
- ½ cup parmesan cheese or add extra tasty/cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 ⅓ cup wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or more or less, to taste
- black pepper to taste
For the coating
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg beaten
Additional
- canola oil or vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Place the broccoli, sweet potato and carrot in a frying pan with the olive oil and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until soft (around 5 minutes).
- Place the cooked vegetables into a food processor and add the chickpeas, eggs, cheeses, breadcrumbs, garlic and onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper.
- Blend until all of the ingredients are smooth and completely combined (this may take a few minutes). You may need to stop and push the sides down with a spoon until the mixture comes together.
- Using your hands, roll tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture into balls. Then, use your hands to gently flatten the balls into a nugget shape.
- Dredge the nuggets through the beaten egg and then coat them in the panko crumbs until they are completely covered.
- Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan and shallow fry (medium-high heat) the nuggets in batches. Cook 2-3 minutes each one side and flip, cooking a further 1-2 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Place any cooked nuggets on a plate with paper towel, until all of the nuggets are cooked.
- Serve hot, with your favourite dipping sauces.
Air fryer instructions
- Follow the steps above to make the nuggets.
- Pre-heat the air fryer to 190 °C/374 F.
- Place the nuggets in the air fryer basket (you will need to cook in batches). Cover the nuggets with a little oil spray and cook for around 8-10 minutes, until crispy, golden and cooked through.
- Serve hot with your favourite dipping sauces.
Notes
- Make them ahead – these nuggets can be made, then put in the freezer to cook later on. If you keep them in the freezer, the cooking time will be slightly longer.
- For gluten-free nuggets, use gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Serve hot and fresh, straight from the pan! Don’t wait to eat them, they are best when eaten warm and freshly cooked.
- Try serving them with ketchup, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, garlic aioli, chilli mayo, honey mustard sauce or my favourite; burger sauce!
- Rather than grating fresh vegetables, you can also use leftover veggies for these nuggets. Just add 2 firmly packed cups of pre-cooked, steamed vegetables to the filling mixture.
- This recipe makes about 30 regular-sized nuggets, but they can be made larger or smaller if required.
- I recommend pan frying in canola oil for maximum crunch and flavour. But they can also be baked in an oven or air fryer with a little oil spray to make them even healthier.
- Air fryer: These nuggets can be cooked in an air fryer, rather than being shallow fried, if preferred. To air fry, place the nuggets into the air fryer basket with a light coating of oil spray and cook for around 8 minutes at 190 °C.
- Oven; place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Coat with a little oil spray and bake at 200 °C for around 10 minutes, or until crispy and cooked through.
- Make ahead; You can make the broccoli vegetable mixture in advance and chill it, covered, in the fridge for around 24 hours. Then simply shape, coat, cook and enjoy! The nuggets can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. They can be served hot, or cold. To reheat, simply place them in an air fryer or oven at 160 °C for around 5 minutes, or until heated through.
- Freezing; This recipe is freezer-friendly and it’s so easy to keep a batch on hand to pull out when you need a quick dinner or lunchbox snack. To freeze, make sure they are completely cooled and then place them on a baking tray in a single layer. Place into the freezer for around 1 hour to freeze, and then transfer the nuggets to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the mixture being made into 30 nuggets, with one nugget being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional sauces or sides served with the nuggets. It is also difficult to calculate the amount of oil absorbed by the nuggets during frying, but the amount is minimal.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in September 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in March 2022.
Sylvie says
Such a great way to eat more veggies in a delicious way!!
TheCookingCollective says
Hi Sylvie! They sure are- a good excuse to eat more nuggets! 😀
Robyn says
These sound such a great, delicious and healthy idea, I can’t wait to cook them for my toddler!
TheCookingCollective says
Thank you Robyn! I hope your toddler enjoys them as much as my kids do 🙂